Thompson Baker II Sells 5,818 Shares of Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) Stock

Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC) President Thompson Baker II sold 5,818 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.26, for a total value of $1,700,368.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Vulcan Materials Price Performance

Shares of VMC opened at $287.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.00 billion, a PE ratio of 40.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $296.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $279.03. Vulcan Materials Company has a 52-week low of $215.08 and a 52-week high of $311.74.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.72 by $0.12. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 12.52% and a return on equity of 12.81%. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Vulcan Materials Company will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 25th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 10th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Vulcan Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.28%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Vulcan Materials during the second quarter worth about $308,908,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 12.3% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,824,987 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,040,914,000 after buying an additional 857,210 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 598.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 719,924 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $187,771,000 after acquiring an additional 616,850 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 48.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,511,427 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $464,945,000 after acquiring an additional 491,957 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 11,723.8% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 425,538 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $99,278,000 after acquiring an additional 421,939 shares during the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Vulcan Materials from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Vulcan Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Vulcan Materials from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $356.00 to $342.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $327.00 price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $317.58.

About Vulcan Materials

Vulcan Materials Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and supplies construction aggregates primarily in the United States. It operates through four segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The company provides crushed stones, sand and gravel, sand, and other aggregates; and related products and services that are applied in construction and maintenance of highways, streets, and other public works, as well as in the construction of housing and commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential facilities.